Corruption In C’River Civil Service Worries Otu
Cross River State Governor, Senator Bassey Otu, is worried by the rate at which corruption fever has caught up with civil servants in the state and is making efforts to tackle the menace.
While inaugurating the state civil service commission board as well as the boards of other agencies in the state, the governor warned the board members to eschew vices that could dent their image and bring the state down.
On the same day, the new chairman of the state council of traditional rulers, His Royal Majesty (Ovai) Elder Solomon Osim was equally inaugurated. Osim who is the Paramount Ruler of the Abi local government area in the central senatorial district of the state, has a two-year term.
The other commissions whose boards were inaugurated were the State Planning Commission, State Civil Service Commission, State Universal Basic Education Board, House of Assembly Planning Commission, Audit Service Commission, and Cross River State Privatization Council.
In his address to the inaugurated bodies, beginning with the Chairman of the State Council of Chiefs, the governor congratulated him. He noted that his administration places high regard on the traditional institution as not only the custodian of the culture and tradition of the State’s people but as a grassroots guarantor of peace and security.
He urged the Chairman to take the message to other traditional leaders in the state that his administration would continue to provide an enabling environment for them to function effectively. Still, he warned that “any royal father who harbours persons of deviant character will lose his office and be treated as an accomplice.”
To the new chairman and members of the state civil service commission, Governor Otu lamented that “it is rather a sad commentary that the commission had in recent times been under public scrutiny for perceived corrupt practices which directly exploded the State wage bill, warning that as unacceptable and abhorrent as such infractions are, his administration “will spare no effort in invoking relevant service rules and regulations against any erring staff.”
“While we await the final report of the ongoing personnel audit and this inauguration, I charge you to put in place a robust internal mechanism to check every aspect of corruption in the commission.”
Similarly, the Governor charged heads and members of all other boards and commissions inaugurated to bring about good reports that will positively impact the growth of the State’s gross domestic economy index.
He specifically disclosed that his administration would develop and remodel at least a thousand schools across the state and urged the State Universal Basic Education Board to ensure that the literacy level of the people was greatly improved, as well as the non-formal education component and skill acquisition programme pursued vigorously, while insisting that “emphasis should equally be placed on the capacity training of teachers, and head teachers”.
